In a home fireplace, a combustible material is typically burnt to generate heat and create ambiance. Accordingly, the fireplace usually is the visual focal point of a room in many homes.
A first type of home fireplace uses as a combustible material a flammable gas delivered through an outlet system. In this type of fireplace, ceramic logs also may be stacked on and/or above the outlet system to focus heat and/or enhance esthetics. In a more traditional home fireplace, combustible logs or other solid combustible materials are placed on a fireplace grate for burning thereon. The fireplace grate typically comprises a plurality of metal bars joined to form a platform above the ground, the platform is supported by legs and used for supporting logs to be burned. Combustible logs (hereinafter logs) include wood logs, gel logs, and other artificial firelogs formed of particulate combustible material, such as sawdust or coal particles, that is combined with a binder material, such as paraffin, and formed into a desired shape. Positioning the logs above the floor of the fireplace enhances airflow around the logs and thus, enhances combustion of the logs. Ceramic logs may also be used in conjunction with combustible logs.
As logs in a fireplace burn their combustible material, ash is generated. The ash accumulates under the fireplace grate. Therefore, the fireplace must be cleaned periodically and the ash accumulated therein removed to maintain a healthy and esthetically pleasing environment in the home.
Unfortunately, cleaning accumulated ash in a fireplace is laborious. Should ash fall directly on the floor of the fireplace, the cleaning task is both time-consuming and dirty. Typically, removing ash from the fireplace floor involves sweeping the ash into a pile with a broom and using a shovel to move piles of accumulated ash into a trash bag, box, or the like for disposal. However, the person cleaning the fireplace must access the area under the fireplace grate.
Often, the fireplace grate must be moved to obtain access to and to clean the area under the fireplace grate. Fireplace grates are typically constructed of heavy steel bars and thus, are difficult to lift. Due to the cave-like design of fireplaces and positioning of the fireplace grate therein, a person cleaning a fireplace is placed an awkward position when lifting the fireplace grate. The cleaning person can not stand directly over the fireplace grate to be lifted so as to be able to use proper lifting techniques (i.e., lift using both arms and legs). Disadvantageously, the cleaning person must extend his arms into the fireplace to first reach the grate and then lift the grate with extended arms. Accordingly, the cleaning person risks straining his back during lifting. This injury risk rises with the decreased strength and fitness or increased age of the cleaning person.
Alternatively, the fireplace grate may be left in place and fireplace cleaning tools used to clean around the grate. However, fireplace cleaning tools are typically specialized and small-sized to permit maneuvering below and between the metal bars forming the fireplace grate. Purchase of these specialized cleaning tools increases the cost of owning and operating a fireplace in a safe and efficient manner. Further, use of these tools may require the cleaning person to place portions of his body inside the fireplace to reach all areas requiring cleaning. This requirement, while requiring a certain level of fitness to perform, provides the opportunity for the cleaning person to contact soot stained side-walls of the fireplace. In addition, the described cleaning method involves disturbing the accumulated ash, which then may be unintentionally and unavoidably distributed about the room holding the fireplace.
An alternative fireplace cleaning method involves pre-positioning a fireplace tray on the floor of the fireplace under a fireplace grate prior to burning logs therein. Ash then falls directly onto the fireplace tray, more particularly on a walled surface of the tray. After some period of burning logs and accumulating ash, the fireplace tray is removed from the fireplace and the contents of the tray disposed of appropriately. Prior fireplace trays typically have a single walled surface that covers the available area beneath the fireplace grate platform between the legs of the fireplace grate. The surface area of the fireplace tray may be varied by adjusting the length and/or width of the tray. Nevertheless, the fireplace tray must be constructed of a material strong enough to withstand lifting of the entire tray without bending or breaking, which would cause the accumulated ash to spill onto the floor of the fireplace or the room containing the fireplace.
Human nature being what it is, many people delay performing cleaning tasks due to other more pressing or interesting options. However, once the fireplace tray is loaded with ash, it becomes much more difficult to maneuver the tray from under the fireplace grate and over any fireplace door, door ledge, or other obstacle at the entrance to the fireplace without spillage. That is, if the tray in fact can be maneuvered over the obstacle without moving the fireplace grate in the first place. In addition, many individuals have difficulty lifting the combination of the fireplace tray and accumulated ash due to the weight of the load and the awkward lifting position arising from conventional fireplace design, as noted above.
Further art references disclose sectional ash pans that cover an area of a furnace, stove-box, or ash pit. Each sectional ash pan is removable from the ash pit via lift handles. A cleaning person must reach into the furnace and/or over any obstruction in or near the furnace opening to remove individual sections. The further away from the furnace opening the individual sections are, the further the cleaning person must reach into the furnace. These section ash pans have no mechanical cooperation between individual sections that assists in cooperatively moving the sections within the furnace so that a cleaning person is able to more easily access the individual sections.
Even with the assistance of conventional fireplace tools and trays, cleanup of accumulated ash in a fireplace is laborious, time-consuming, dirty, and presents the possibility of injury. The inability to easily, efficiently, and safely maintain the cleanliness of a fireplace may make homeowners hesitant to use their fireplace to any significant extent. This hesitancy in turn reduces the value of a home fireplace and prevents homeowners from fully realizing the benefits of a fireplace.